Eden (Complete)

Chapter Six

So far, the regular tour showcased plenty of wonderment. Nick and Amy would have been content with simply continuing the group tour with the other awestruck tourists. They trusted though that what Vlad had planned for them was even more spectacular.

"Hey, guys," Vlad whispered to Nick and Amy. "Follow me."

Nick and Amy cautiously broke away from the pack and followed Vlad into an inconspicuous hallway. Although they had slight reservations, they were excited as they walked down the winding hall around the massive auditorium. Amy was a little more apprehensive than Nick, who seemed to be walking with a confident stride. The fact that they were in a forbidden area added to their excitement since there was the possibility of getting caught combined with the unknown. Before coming to Romania, Nick and Amy hadn't heard of the Salina Turda mine. Now they were receiving an exclusive tour, something that few tourists would ever experience. As they reached the end of the salt encrusted tunnel, their excitement escalated.

"When the mine was first discovered," Vlad said, "the miners dug all these tunnels into the mountain. Dozens of tunnels, which are absolutely breathtaking, but are closed off to tourists."

"Why is that?" Nick asked.

"Well, for a number of reasons. One is that this mine is so big, and they wanted to keep the tours simple. Other tunnels are closed due to inaccessibility and safety reasons, and for some, they ran out of money to develop them."

"So is there lighting where we are going?" Amy asked.

"Why, are you afraid of the dark?" Vlad asked with a smirk.

Before Amy could answer the question, Vlad reassured her that there was proper lighting and that it was completely safe. "Where we are about to go is really beautiful, but they haven't figured out how to make it accessible to large groups of tourists. Fortunately, we are not a large group. Are you guys ready?"

"I guess so," they both said.

Vlad took out a key ring and thumbed through the keys until he found the one he was looking for. The key looked to be over a hundred years old. Nick and Amy watched with a curious enthusiasm. Vlad stuck the key in the lock and gave it a twist. The lock snapped open and Vlad pushed his way in.

"Come on," he said.

On the other side of the door was a small room with a wooden staircase in the centre. The wood was in rough shape and appeared to be centuries old. The entire room had collected thick deposits of salt that were forming on the ceiling, walls, and bannister.

The staircase only went down, so that's where they went. Vlad led the way. "Watch your head," he said as he ducked under a support beam. At the bottom of the stairs there was another service elevator, but unlike the other one, it was not modern and it only had room for five or six people. It too was encrusted with a thick layer of salt.

"Ok, so this elevator goes into the Earth for about a kilometre."

"Is it safe?" Amy asked as she peered down the pitch-black elevator shaft.

"Yes, it's completely safe. You have nothing to worry about. Are you afraid of heights and the dark?"

"No, not at all. I love being several kilometres in the Earth with minimal lighting," she said sarcastically with a noticeable panic in her voice.

"Don't worry," Vlad assured her. "Nothing bad will happen, I promise. I come down here all the time."

"Amy, we don't have to do this if you don't want to," Nick said.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just go."

"Are you sure?" Vlad asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said with manufactured confidence.